First was Red Phase, then White Phase, now- you guessed it: Blue Phase. Clever. It's the last phase of RSP before you ship to BCT. Essentially I was paid to do paperwork for the weekend. The cadre make sure you've got all your paperwork in order and scare you one more time about fraudulent enlistment and all the ways you can get kicked out for withholding information. For example- if you leave for basic with unpaid parking tickets- you're on the first flight home with a dishonorable discharge. They even said if you've got a ticket from a red light camera that hasn't been mailed to you yet you could still get discharged. So I'll be calling the city tomorrow to make sure I'm squared away on that... it's enough to make anyone paranoid. There was also a lengthy time of Q&A for anyone with lingering questions about anything really. Surprisingly, people asked good questions so it was a constructive use of time.
The unit commander came in to talk to a few of us about OCS. I didn't really learn anything new but he told me when I got back from basic he'd look into sending me to Federal OCS at Fort Benning. That sounds like the ideal pace for me- not too fast, but quick enough to get my commission before the war is over.
PT at drill was the same as last month, I ran the 2 mile about 40 seconds faster this time, so felt good about that. It also rained here Saturday morning for the first time in months, so it was "cool" (below 90 degrees) and running in the rain felt tremendous. Sunday morning we did a 3-ish mile obstacle run that included bounding over seven foot chain link fences, running up stairs, weaving between poles, etc. One soldier puked twice, and about 5 out of the 30 fell out of the run.
I pulled my packet-o-information and noticed my ship date is a week later than what I thought it was. So I've got another few days at home and I'll get to enjoy Labor Day weekend.
Showing posts with label RSP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RSP. Show all posts
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Basic Combat Training Schedule
In just a few short weeks I'll be headed off to South Carolina to make the transition from citizen to soldier. I found this handy outline on the Fort Jackson website (www.jackson.army.mil/sites/bct/) that gives a 30,000 ft. view of what goes on at BCT. This should be a good reference to see what I'm probably in the middle of:
In other news:
-I've ditched the training plan I was on and started P90X for the remaining weeks I've got before basic, supplementing it with running a few times a week. I was starting to plateau and needed a new challenge.
-I've memorized the 3 General Orders, Army Values, and the Soldier's Creed. Thanks to YouTube for the soldier's creed videos- that definitely helped speed up the memorization process.
-My last RSP drill is this weekend. Blue Phase- sounds like mostly paperwork. Look for an update shortly.
Week 0: ReceptionSoldiers complete administrative actions required to become part of the Army. Simple things such as medical examinations, setting up pay, and initial issue of equipment is completed. This process typically takes between two and three days but can take over a week in some cases.
Weeks 1-3: Red PhaseWelcome to BCT! Soldiers meet their Drill Sergeants and begin training. While often considered a difficult week for Soldiers due to the adjustments, it is actually pretty easy compared to later weeks. Most classroom-type training occurs in this period where Soldiers learn about:
- Ballistics and Rifle Marksmanship Fundamentals
- Personal financial management
- Law of Land Warfare
- Uniform Code of Military Justice (Military Law)
- Dismounted Land Navigation (using a map and compass)
- Fundamentals of Physical Readiness
- Nutrition
- Rappelling and navigating rope bridges
- Drill and Ceremonies (marching)
- Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Defense (often referred to as the Gas Chamber)
- Fieldcraft
- Patrolling
Weeks 4-5: White PhaseThis phase is sometimes referred to the rifleman phase, qualification phase, shoot phase, and some other names. Whatever the term, the training focus is the same...how to identify, track, target, and effectively engage targets with a rifle. In a word, Soldiers learn "Marksmanship". The training is progressive and becomes more difficult as the training progresses:
- Fundamentals of Rifle Marksmanship are reinforced
- Zero a rifle (align the rifle sites to hit targets at different distances)
- Engage targets at various distances
- Engage targets at various distances using three different positions
- Prone supported (laying down with a brace to hold the weapon steady)
- Prone unsupported (laying down using only your hands to hold the weapon steady)
- Kneeling unsupported (one knee on the ground, resting the weapon on the other knee)
- Engage targets at various distances with limited time
- Prioritize and engage multiple simultaneous targets at various distances with limited time
- Engage targets at various distances, with limited and variable amounts of time, with a changing number of simultaneous targets available at any particular time...passing this requirement is also known as Rifle Qualification.
Weeks 6-9: Blue PhaseThe culminating phase of BCT, Soldiers combine the skills they learned in earlier phases of training to complete advanced combat tasks.
- Advanced Rifle Marksmanship (close combat and use of aiming tools such as lasers)
- Patrol and attack as a squad
- Maneuver and engage targets as part of a team
- Employ "crew-served" and more powerful weapons
- M240B Machine Gun
- AT4 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher
- M203 40mm Grenade Launcher
- Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT - Fighting in a city)
- Convoy Defense
- Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Defeat
- Long-distance Road Marching with combat load
- Foward Operating Base (FOB) operations
- Control Point operations
Week 10: GraduationThe final week of BCT is all about you and your Family. After completing the final training events to include a week of field training and a 15km march under load back into the main part of the post, Soldiers are given a day with their Families to catch up and share their experiences. On the following day, Soldiers graduate and are sent to the next phase of their training that in almost all cases is Advanced Individual Training (AIT).
In other news:
-I've ditched the training plan I was on and started P90X for the remaining weeks I've got before basic, supplementing it with running a few times a week. I was starting to plateau and needed a new challenge.
-I've memorized the 3 General Orders, Army Values, and the Soldier's Creed. Thanks to YouTube for the soldier's creed videos- that definitely helped speed up the memorization process.
-My last RSP drill is this weekend. Blue Phase- sounds like mostly paperwork. Look for an update shortly.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
RSP- White Phase (Part II)
Here's what went down at Sunday drill:
Morning PT consisted of running in four man teams with a stretcher and a 250 lb. dummy for about 350 yards, once we got to point B the "MedEvac" changed landing points back to where we were originally. So back we went. Then we did log PT wich consisted of lifting a pole with a buddy until your arms fell off and then some. After we were sufficiently drenched in our own sweat, we set up an ultimate frisbee course and played that with the sergeants for over an hour. That was actually quite fun- it also showed how people instinctively give and take respect based on someone's athletic ability. After my performance in the game the other enlisted guys wanted me on their team to help them out with things and the opposite was true for the soldiers who didn't play well. I'll leave the application of that lesson for the sociologists out there.
After much welcomed showers we got down to the warrior training we prepped for the day before. We spent what was left of our morning assaulting the armory until we got to the point where most of us were visibly frustrated with how it was going. It wasn't like the movies where we just instinctively knew what we were doing- that's the work of hours and hours of training with your unit. What we were doing was amateurish at best. The sergeant wisely brought us all back into our classroom so we could talk through the issues we were having and appointed me as squad leader (SL). From there we talked through our frustrations and we got everyone on the same page as we tweaked our battle strategy. It was great experience for me and several times I had to remind myself I'm not actually a 2nd Lieutenant and this was still the sergeant's training exercise. He was gracious though and let me act like a SL would need to- even including running the operation I planned. It was reaffirming to me that this is where God wants me to be right now. I was in my element and enjoying every second of it.
On the administrative side of things I found out my best shot at OCS is going to be in March of 2012. That'll give me about 3.5 months after basic to keep getting in shape and learn what I need to. The way it will work is that I'll compete against other candidates on an Order of Merit List (OML) that takes into consideration previous service and PT scores (probably some other things as well). Based on where I rank on the OML I'll get to pick either accelerated (8 weeks, 23% pass rate) or traditional (18 months one weekend a month). My goal is to get into accelerated. If I fail out I'll just get rolled into the traditional class. I'm sure I'll talk more about that after basic, but as of now this is the plan.
One more drill weekend next month and then it's off to Fort Jackson, SC for basic!
Morning PT consisted of running in four man teams with a stretcher and a 250 lb. dummy for about 350 yards, once we got to point B the "MedEvac" changed landing points back to where we were originally. So back we went. Then we did log PT wich consisted of lifting a pole with a buddy until your arms fell off and then some. After we were sufficiently drenched in our own sweat, we set up an ultimate frisbee course and played that with the sergeants for over an hour. That was actually quite fun- it also showed how people instinctively give and take respect based on someone's athletic ability. After my performance in the game the other enlisted guys wanted me on their team to help them out with things and the opposite was true for the soldiers who didn't play well. I'll leave the application of that lesson for the sociologists out there.
After much welcomed showers we got down to the warrior training we prepped for the day before. We spent what was left of our morning assaulting the armory until we got to the point where most of us were visibly frustrated with how it was going. It wasn't like the movies where we just instinctively knew what we were doing- that's the work of hours and hours of training with your unit. What we were doing was amateurish at best. The sergeant wisely brought us all back into our classroom so we could talk through the issues we were having and appointed me as squad leader (SL). From there we talked through our frustrations and we got everyone on the same page as we tweaked our battle strategy. It was great experience for me and several times I had to remind myself I'm not actually a 2nd Lieutenant and this was still the sergeant's training exercise. He was gracious though and let me act like a SL would need to- even including running the operation I planned. It was reaffirming to me that this is where God wants me to be right now. I was in my element and enjoying every second of it.
On the administrative side of things I found out my best shot at OCS is going to be in March of 2012. That'll give me about 3.5 months after basic to keep getting in shape and learn what I need to. The way it will work is that I'll compete against other candidates on an Order of Merit List (OML) that takes into consideration previous service and PT scores (probably some other things as well). Based on where I rank on the OML I'll get to pick either accelerated (8 weeks, 23% pass rate) or traditional (18 months one weekend a month). My goal is to get into accelerated. If I fail out I'll just get rolled into the traditional class. I'm sure I'll talk more about that after basic, but as of now this is the plan.
One more drill weekend next month and then it's off to Fort Jackson, SC for basic!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
RSP- White Phase (Part I)
Here's a breakdown of drill today:
Morning formation was at 0700- an hour earlier than normal because of this great heat we're experiencing. I believe today was the 22nd straight day over 100. There's a reason I exercise before the sun comes up... Word quickly spread that I was an OCS candidate- seems like I was the only one (either that or the others kept it quiet). This earned me the attention of all the sergeants and my battalion commander during PT. Awesome. It also meant my name was changed to OCS whenever the cat calls of "encouragement" were intended for me.
Not that I'm in the second phase of RSP we do the full 2-2-2 APFT test. That's max push ups in two minutes, max sit ups in two minutes and a two mile run. I've maintained a fairly strict workout routine since last drill and saw improvements over all my exercises. I still have a long way to go but you have to start somewhere. Here were my scores:
Push-ups: 40 (60 points-Pass)
Sit-up: 80 (100 points-Pass)
2 mile: 0:16:27 (61 points-Pass)
Total Score: 221 of the required 180
So I passed! Thanks to those who prayed for my run time- that was a bit of a small miracle as I hadn't completed the 2 mile in anything less than 0:17:04 in my personal workouts. Running with others definitely helped motivate me (as did wanting to make a good impression on my battalion commander who I was meeting for the first time). The goal is to take 3.5 minutes off that time by the end of BCT. Leading from the front is expected from officers- especially infantry ones. My counter didn't count about 30% of the push ups I did because they weren't "OCS push ups" (chest to the ground). Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I still passed.
We spent the rest of the morning going over first aid in a combat setting. I'd been a lifeguard for 7 years but it adds a whole new level of intensity when "You! Go call 911!" isn't an option and checking to make sure the scene is safe means eliminating enemy combatants and searching for possible IED ambushes. Medics on the battle field aren't a guarantee and sometimes saving a fellow soldier (or even an enemy combatant) is left up to you. We learned how to put on the Army's new tourniquet. Apparently the one from WWII with a handkerchief and stick (or some variation thereof) was still standard issue through the early 2000's. Its really easy to use, carried by every soldier, and can be self-applied.
For some of the hands on part they dressed me up in Arab clothes and I ran into the room and blew up some explosive simulator. That woke everybody up- you should've seen their faces...
The end of the day we prepped for our mission tomorrow, which was creating a perimeter and securing a building. Should be fun. We get to run around with replica M4 carbines and take down bad guys. Oh- and get paid for it :) Glad to be doing work I enjoy.
[Oh, and no uniform yet except for the RSP track suit they issued me... yeah its about as awesome as it sounds. They ordered my ACU about 3 weeks ago so it should be in for next drill where I'll get to wear it for the weekend, then turn it back in since I'll be getting new uniforms at BCT in September. Sometimes it's better to not ask questions.]
Morning formation was at 0700- an hour earlier than normal because of this great heat we're experiencing. I believe today was the 22nd straight day over 100. There's a reason I exercise before the sun comes up... Word quickly spread that I was an OCS candidate- seems like I was the only one (either that or the others kept it quiet). This earned me the attention of all the sergeants and my battalion commander during PT. Awesome. It also meant my name was changed to OCS whenever the cat calls of "encouragement" were intended for me.
Not that I'm in the second phase of RSP we do the full 2-2-2 APFT test. That's max push ups in two minutes, max sit ups in two minutes and a two mile run. I've maintained a fairly strict workout routine since last drill and saw improvements over all my exercises. I still have a long way to go but you have to start somewhere. Here were my scores:
Push-ups: 40 (60 points-Pass)
Sit-up: 80 (100 points-Pass)
2 mile: 0:16:27 (61 points-Pass)
Total Score: 221 of the required 180
So I passed! Thanks to those who prayed for my run time- that was a bit of a small miracle as I hadn't completed the 2 mile in anything less than 0:17:04 in my personal workouts. Running with others definitely helped motivate me (as did wanting to make a good impression on my battalion commander who I was meeting for the first time). The goal is to take 3.5 minutes off that time by the end of BCT. Leading from the front is expected from officers- especially infantry ones. My counter didn't count about 30% of the push ups I did because they weren't "OCS push ups" (chest to the ground). Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I still passed.
We spent the rest of the morning going over first aid in a combat setting. I'd been a lifeguard for 7 years but it adds a whole new level of intensity when "You! Go call 911!" isn't an option and checking to make sure the scene is safe means eliminating enemy combatants and searching for possible IED ambushes. Medics on the battle field aren't a guarantee and sometimes saving a fellow soldier (or even an enemy combatant) is left up to you. We learned how to put on the Army's new tourniquet. Apparently the one from WWII with a handkerchief and stick (or some variation thereof) was still standard issue through the early 2000's. Its really easy to use, carried by every soldier, and can be self-applied.
For some of the hands on part they dressed me up in Arab clothes and I ran into the room and blew up some explosive simulator. That woke everybody up- you should've seen their faces...
The end of the day we prepped for our mission tomorrow, which was creating a perimeter and securing a building. Should be fun. We get to run around with replica M4 carbines and take down bad guys. Oh- and get paid for it :) Glad to be doing work I enjoy.
[Oh, and no uniform yet except for the RSP track suit they issued me... yeah its about as awesome as it sounds. They ordered my ACU about 3 weeks ago so it should be in for next drill where I'll get to wear it for the weekend, then turn it back in since I'll be getting new uniforms at BCT in September. Sometimes it's better to not ask questions.]
Monday, June 13, 2011
RSP- Red Phase
This weekend was my first drill with the National Guard. It was a bit unusual as Saturday's normal drill was replaced by a trip to an Indy race. My recruiter got my wife and I vouchers to go on a pit tour, hang out at the NG Racing hospitality tent, race tickets, and best of all- we got passes to take 3 laps in the back seat of a modified Indy car. Unfortunately, I was too tall to fit and was unable to ride. But my wife got to experience the track at 180 mph. When she got out she asked who her driver was- Mario Andretti. It was an unforgettable experience and probably the most fun I've been paid to have.
Sunday I met up with the recruits doing the normal drill. The NG has a program unlike any other service that prepares you for basic training. RSP or Recruit Sustainment Program helps you get one step ahead by exposing you to elements of basic training that tend to hang up new recruits. Its a low pressure environment that allows you to fail without getting chewed out for it- in other words you're still treated like a human being while you're learning.
Red Phase is the first phase of the program. We were issued track suits, notebooks, an Army policy book, and a book that most people don't get until basic to start studying. I missed day one so I don't know exactly what the rest of my class did, but it sounded like mostly paperwork, customs and courtesies, and drill and ceremony. Sunday morning we stared out with a 1-1-1 or half of a regular APFT (1 min. max push-ups, 1 min. max sit-ups, 1 mile run). I well exceeded the requirements for push-ups and sit-ups but was just a tad too slow on the mile run. Each event has a maximum score of 100 points and to pass basic training you need to score at least 50 points in each event. However, in the RSP program you need to be able to score 60 points in each before they'll let you attend BCT. Next month I'll do the full test and I know where I need to push myself.
The rest of the day we did drill and ceremony (marching, formations, saluting, etc...), took a group test, filled out paperwork, and the guys who didn't have an AKO account (army email and such) were signed up for one. Even after one weekend, it's neat to see how a rag-tag group of civilians are starting to be transformed into members of the greatest military force on the planet. We were dismissed around 1400 and I was home 15 minutes after that. Not a bad weekend.
Sunday I met up with the recruits doing the normal drill. The NG has a program unlike any other service that prepares you for basic training. RSP or Recruit Sustainment Program helps you get one step ahead by exposing you to elements of basic training that tend to hang up new recruits. Its a low pressure environment that allows you to fail without getting chewed out for it- in other words you're still treated like a human being while you're learning.
Red Phase is the first phase of the program. We were issued track suits, notebooks, an Army policy book, and a book that most people don't get until basic to start studying. I missed day one so I don't know exactly what the rest of my class did, but it sounded like mostly paperwork, customs and courtesies, and drill and ceremony. Sunday morning we stared out with a 1-1-1 or half of a regular APFT (1 min. max push-ups, 1 min. max sit-ups, 1 mile run). I well exceeded the requirements for push-ups and sit-ups but was just a tad too slow on the mile run. Each event has a maximum score of 100 points and to pass basic training you need to score at least 50 points in each event. However, in the RSP program you need to be able to score 60 points in each before they'll let you attend BCT. Next month I'll do the full test and I know where I need to push myself.
The rest of the day we did drill and ceremony (marching, formations, saluting, etc...), took a group test, filled out paperwork, and the guys who didn't have an AKO account (army email and such) were signed up for one. Even after one weekend, it's neat to see how a rag-tag group of civilians are starting to be transformed into members of the greatest military force on the planet. We were dismissed around 1400 and I was home 15 minutes after that. Not a bad weekend.
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